Egyptian Architecture

The architecture of diplomacy balances security and openness. As symbols of protection and representation, embassies are built for utility in both urban and rural contexts alike. At their core, they are also made to communicate the values and ideals of nations as welcoming structures and sustainable civic spaces. Today, modern embassy projects are made to meet rigorous security standards while embracing local culture and conditions.

Foster + Partners has begun construction on the new Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in Cairo, Egypt. With views of the Pyramids of Giza, the hospital site borders the Zewail City of Science and Technology as part of an integrated health and medical research zone. The design was made to respond to the needs of patients, their families and the staff that care for them while decreasing recovery times.

Putting together competition entries from all around the world, this week’s curated feature for Best Unbuilt Architecture showcases inspiring approaches and concepts. Submitted by our readers, the selection highlights uncommon proposals, part of international contests. While some are winning projects, others received honorable mentions.

Architect, urban planner, and professor, Dr. Abdelhalim Ibrahim Abdelhalim was selected as the 2020 laureate of Tamayouz’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The highest accolade of the Tamayouz Excellence Award is awarded annually to an individual “who have made significant contributions towards humanity and the advancement of architecture and the built environment in the Near East and North Africa”.

This week’s curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture encompasses conceptual proposals submitted by our readers. It features diverse functions and tackles different scales, from a spiraling bridge in China to a transportation hub dedicated primarily to space travel in Japan.

As far as written records report, “prehistory” dates back between 35,000 BCE and 3000 BCE in the Middle East (2000 BCE in Western Europe). Ancient builders had a profound understanding of human responses to environmental conditions and physical needs. Initially, families and tribes lived together in skin-covered huts and bone structures. Thousands of years later, human settlements evolved into fortified mud-brick walls surrounding rectangular volumes with pierced openings for ventilation and sunlight. 

Contemporary Egyptian architecture draws from a rich history. As a cradle of civilization, the transcontinental country has influenced diverse building styles and design cultures. Home to some of the earliest urban developments and centralized governments, Egypt is defined by its geography and its multicultural background. Today, its modern architecture must contend with a legacy of building that spans millennia.

Cosmos Architecture, an international practice based in Madrid, Milan, Shanghai, and Cairo has designed a proposal for the Egyptian Pavilion in the Venice Biennale 2020. The project is an awareness campaign, highlighting diverse environmental issues occurring in Egypt and presenting proper solutions.

The Tamayouz Excellence Award has revealed its shortlist of finalists for Women in Architecture and Construction 2019, given to emerging female contributors in the architectural and construction field throughout the Near East and North Africa. This annual award honors 2 categories, Rising Star and Woman of Outstanding Achievement, and the winners will be announced next month.

Stefano Boeri Architetti has unveiled its vision for the first vertical forests in Africa, in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The 3 cubes or the 3 experimental edifices consisting of one hotel and two residential structures, will be part of the new administrative town plan, under construction in the southeast of the city.